Monday, December 22, 2014

How Manufacturers of Skin Care and Body Care Falsely Claim Their Products are Certified Organic When in Fact they are NOT Organic!

Many companies are ignoring the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) rules, with the intention of confusing their customers into believing their products are organic. How could this be possible you may ask? Some Companies claim to be certified by only having ONE certified organic product, therefore deceiving their customers into thinking that ALL of their products are organic. Only those that can present an organic certificate, listing all of their organic products can actually prove that their products are indeed certified organic. Don't be fooled if they only send you the first page showing the company name on that certificate, without sending you the rest of the pages listing the product. If the product is not listed then most likely it is not certified organic.

Another way a Company can deceive a customer is by stating that their farm grows their own organic crops and sell their own skin care products. They generally will use terms like; "Organic Skin Care from a USDA Certified Grower" this means that they may be certified as a grower but their individual skin care products are NOT certified.

In order to receive organic certification by the National Organic Program a manufacturer has to comply with hundreds of procedures and many pages of paperwork. This includes submitting ingredients label and artwork, followed by a series of inspections of the manufacturing facility. Finally the product is inspected, all of the ingredients used must have their individual organic certification, and then once a product has been approved the certifying agent adds that product to the company's organic certificate list.

There are various categories of Organic products;

100 PERCENT ORGANIC All ingredients must be certified organic, including any processing aids. Product labels must state the name of the certifying agent on the ingredients label. May include USDA organic seal and/or 100 percent organic claim. May include USDA organic seal and/or 100 percent organic claim. Must identify organic ingredients (e.g., organic dill) or via asterisk or other mark. Click here for an example of Nature’s Brands Herbal Choice Mari Organic Lavender Body Butter

ORGANICAll agricultural ingredients must be certified organic, except where specified on National List. Non-organic ingredients allowed per National List may be used, up to a combined total of five percent of non-organic content (excluding salt and water). Product labels must state the name of the certifying agent on the information panel. May include USDA organic seal and/or organic claim. Must identify organic ingredients (e.g., organic dill) or via asterisk or other mark. Click here for an example of Nature’s Brands Herbal Choice Mari Organic Day Cream Sweet Orange.

“MADE WITH” ORGANICAt least 70 percent of the product must be certified organic ingredients (excluding salt and water). Any remaining agricultural products are not required to be organically produced but must be produced without genetic engineering, ionizing radiation, or sewage sludge. Non-agricultural products must be specifically allowed on the National List. Product labels must state the name of the certifying agent on the information panel. May state “made with organic (insert up to three ingredients or ingredient categories).” Must not include USDA organic seal anywhere, represent finished product as organic, or state “made with organic ingredients.” Must identify organic ingredients (e.g., organic dill) or via asterisk or other mark. Click here to see an example of Nature’s Brands Herbal Choice Mari Facial Wash which is “Made With” Organic.